A New Chapter in Taiwan–Saudi Friendship

On the day of our visit, Representative Adel F. Althaidi of the Saudi Arabian Trade Office in Taipei (SATO Taipei) personally pours us a cup of Arabic coffee, known as qahwa. This culture of hospitality, which Taiwan shares, is a manifestation of the precept, “He who believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him show hospitality to his guest,” which was emphasized by the Prophet Muhammad. It is also an expression of the spirit of mutual aid and generosity that arose from the traditional nomadic life of the Arab people amid a harsh climate, just like the spirit that underlies the longstanding friendship between Taiwan and Saudi Arabia.

A friendship built on sand and sweat

In describing our bilateral relationship, Representative Althaidi goes back to the beginning. Taiwan and Saudi Arabia have maintained a stable and profound friendship for more than 70 years, and have cooperated in a wide variety of fields. “The peak time was in the 1970s and 80s, up to the 1990s.” He notes that at that time both Taiwan and Saudi Arabia were seeking to develop their economies, and each had its own needs and advantages. “In Saudi Arabia, we had oil as a natural resource. Taiwan didn’t have the natural resources, but they had manpower, technology, engineering, and healthcare, and this is what we needed.”

Saudi Arabia provided interest-free and low-interest loans to assist Taiwan with major infrastructure programs like the Ten Major Construction Projects, and this was an important force driving Taiwan’s economic miracle. One of these Saudi-funded projects, the Zhongsha Bridge, which carries the Sun Yat-sen Freeway across the Zhuoshui River between Xizhou in Changhua County and Xiluo in Yunlin County, got its name from the zhong in Zhonghua Minguo (the Republic of China) and the sha in Shawudi Alabo, the Chinese name for Saudi Arabia. Then-premier Sun Yun-suan personally wrote the calligraphy for a commemorative stele reading youyi yong cun (“eternal friendship”), and this monument still stands in the southbound station of the freeway’s Xiluo Service Area, bearing witness to Taiwan‡Saudi friendship.

Meanwhile, there’s a saying in Taiwanese that goes: “If you eat a mouthful of someone else’s rice, you should repay them with a bushel of rice.” Starting in the 1970s, Taiwan sent as many as 10,000 experts to Saudi Arabia in technical assistance teams in a variety of fields, including agriculture, fisheries, engineering, healthcare, and transportation, to assist with all manner of infrastructure programs. The most famous was probably the Shaar Descent Highway, which is considered a “transportation showcase” in Saudi Arabia.

Taiwan’s Retired Servicemen’s Engineering Agency (RSEA, a.k.a. Ret-Ser) spent four years overcoming rugged, steep terrain to build this major highway, which has a height differential of 1,700 meters from its highest to its lowest point. In doing so, they established a reputation for dependability for the Taiwan brand in Saudi Arabia. “Our two sides have continued working together until now,” says Althaidi.

There has been close cooperation between Taiwan and Saudi Arabia in the areas of agriculture and fisheries for many years. (courtesy of TaiwanICDF)

In the 1970s one could see Taiwanese working throughout Saudi Arabia on infrastructure projects including highways, ports, and airports. (MOFA file photo)

Future prospects for cooperation

Today, even as the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF) continues to work with Saudi stakeholders in a number of fields including agriculture, fisheries, and transportation, economic and trade cooperation has become a focal point of bilateral inter­actions.

The Saudi Vision 2030 program launched by HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman in 2016 calls for cooperation with various industries in which Taiwan has developed a competitive advantage in recent years. The 2024 Taiwan Trade Mission to the Middle East, organized by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), included a “Taiwan Month” activity in Saudi Arabia in May of 2024. Participating companies came from industries including healthcare, food and beverages, communications, and machinery, demonstrating the competitiveness of Taiwan’s small and medium-sized enterprises, the backbone of the island’s economy.

Previously, in 2021, Taiwan’s Master Transportation signed a cooperation agreement with the Saudi International Industrial Village Company (SIIVC) to transfer electric bus technology to Saudi Arabia. In 2022, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced the establishment of the country’s first electric vehicle company, Ceer Motors, which was founded with the collaboration of Taiwan’s Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn).

Besides the currently trendsetting sectors of electric vehicles and artificial intelligence, Taiwan’s healthcare technology has also received a great deal of attention in Saudi Arabia. One of the businesses taking part in the Taiwan Month delegation, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, displayed its smart healthcare technology and engaged in discussions on future cooperation with the Dr. Hamed Al Mutabagani Hospitals, one of Saudi Arabia’s largest private hospital groups.

After many years of cooperation, Taiwan‡Saudi collaboration today is very wide-ranging. Looking to the future, Adel Althaidi looks forward to even greater cooperation and achievements in these fields.

In recent years Taiwan and Saudi Arabia have continued to deepen trade relations and collaboration between their economies in areas such as artificial intelligence. (courtesy of TAITRA)

Helping Taiwan understand Saudi Arabia

Since taking up his post in 2020, Althaidi has proactively organized a variety of activities, including cultural exchanges.

In late December of 2023, SATO Taipei worked with the National Central Library (NCL) to hold an exhibition to mark World Arabic Language Day, entitled Arabic—The Language of Poetry and Art. The display introduced the people of Taiwan to precious artifacts including ancient books and clothing. In June of 2024, Althaidi donated 20 Arabic books to the NCL and discussed potential directions for future cooperation with NCL director general Wang Han-ching, including the idea of “Taiwan Corner” activities in Saudi Arabia.

“We are very proud of our language, and we want to share it with our friends here in Taiwan,” says Althaidi. It was in Arabic that classics of science and philosophy of imperial Rome and ancient Greece were preserved to later be passed back to Europe, having a huge impact. As a striking example of Arabic influence, he notes that the names of 70% of the stars in the sky come from Arabic. He concludes: “We were very happy that the National Central Library embraced this initiative and co-hosted Arabic Language Day last year.”

During the four years of his tenure as representative, Althaidi has gone to many schools to introduce the charms of Saudi Arabia to faculty and students. A very cordial man, before each event he shakes hands with all the featured guests and engages them in small talk, and after the events he never turns down anyone who wants to take a photograph or to exchange opinions with him. His years of effort have borne fruit, not only enabling many Taiwanese to learn more about this friend in the Middle East, but also writing a new page in the history of Taiwan‡Saudi friendship.

Representative Adel F. Althaidi of the Saudi Arabian Trade Office in Taipei has personally visited many university campuses in Taiwan to share information on the history and culture of his homeland. (courtesy of SATO Taipei)

Adel Althaidi (second left) has often been invited to attend certification ceremonies for Muslim-friendly venues, getting a first-hand look at Taiwan’s respect and tolerance for other religions. (courtesy of SATO Taipei)

During his four-year tenure in Taiwan, Althaidi (third left) has proactively attended numerous events and shown the importance he places on promoting bilateral relations, while also making a deep impression on many Taiwanese. (courtesy of SATO Taipei)

Tolerant, friendly Taiwan

As a Muslim, Althaidi has been able to witness the degree of respect that Taiwanese show to Muslims. He specially mentions that in many places, such as highway rest stops and popular tourist attractions like the Taipei 101 building, there are special prayer rooms and other spaces for Muslims, often complete with facilities for ritual cleansing of the body before prayer, and toilets are equipped with bidet showers for toilet hygiene. This enables the faithful to fulfill their religious duties at any time with peace of mind.

Althaidi believes that it is for precisely these reasons that Taiwan, as a non-Islamic country, is highly popular with Muslims, for it is a land where Muslims can feel the friendly attitude of the people. “This shows the nature of these beautiful people of Taiwan, that they are welcoming and inclusive, and very hospitable to other religions and to other peoples or nationalities.”

In 2023 the Saudi Arabian Trade Office in Taipei and Taiwan’s National Central Library celebrated World Arabic Language Day with an exhibition entitled Arabic—The Language of Poetry and Art. The event attracted many people to come and see ancient books, clothing, cultural artifacts, and modern books from Saudi Arabia. (courtesy of SATO Taipei)

Diversity, intersections, and beauty

Tolerance and intersectionality make Taiwan‡Saudi cultural exchanges very rewarding. For example, says Althaidi, “In the arts, if there’s just one color, it’s not that beautiful. If you have different colors, it’s going to be more beautiful and more appealing. That’s the thing between our two cultures, or any given cultures in general. They contrast, yet they communicate with each other, they go hand in hand in harmony, and you can see a beautiful image and beautiful relations between these two different cultures and backgrounds.”

This October will mark the fourth full year since Representative Althaidi was assigned to Taiwan. As to whether he will remain in his post in the future, he only says that it is in the nature of diplomatic work to be prepared for a change at any time. Nonetheless, he says with great confidence: “Whoever comes after me, he or she will do a better job than I did in the last four years, and will be more capable than me.” It seems that the latest chapter in the story of Taiwan‡Saudi friendship is not yet completely written.

Adel Althaidi (left) made a gift of 20 precious books to the National Central Library to give Taiwanese readers more opportunities to encounter Arab culture, writing a new page in the story of Taiwan–Saudi cultural exchanges.